The territory’s school bus system is about to make another U-turn with transportation providers.

On July 6, the Department of Education gave formal notice to school bus company Takhini Transport of its intent to terminate its existing busing contracts for students.

Ronuk Modha, the department’s communications director, told the Star this morning there had been concerns regarding safety and operations in the company that had triggered the department to closely monitor the company’s services for the past year.

The Star has obtained access to a July 30, 2014, letter from Valerie Royle, the former deputy minister of Education. It was obtained by the opposition New Democrats under the Yukon’s access to information legislation.

It details several areas within the contract Takhini Transport had failed to comply with.

According to the letter, the bus company had failed in the following areas:

• to meet bus certification requirements;

• to have buses serviced and repaired by a certified mechanic; and

• to provide proof of documentation for a number of drivers in the areas of RCMP checks, first aid certificates, defensive driving, smart driver for school bus training, Yukon driver examiner road test, assertive discipline training and driver abstract.

In the letter, Royle stated, “The above deficiencies are substantial and their rectification important to ensuring the safety of children to and from the commute to school.”

“We found something that points out that there have been concerns over two years of service,” Lois Moorcroft, the NDP’s Highways and Public Works critic, told the Star early this afternoon.

“My question is whether or not the government made sure those deficiencies were rectified.”

Moorcroft noted that the opposition did ask questions of the government during the 2014-2015 school year, but did not receive any information back.

Within a week of school starting last August, frustrated parents created an outlet for complaints – a Facebook called “Concerns with Whitehorse School Busses (sic)”.

A range of problems were reported on the Facebook group including buses that simply didn’t show up, and kindergarteners dropped off at high school and being told to walk to their elementary school.

As well, kids were dropped off on the busy Alaska Highway, and there were issues about the new school bus schedule that had been newly implemented.

“Towards the end of the school year, we were just not confident that the company could provide the level of service that we needed and were essentially required by contract to provide for the upcoming school year,” Modha said.

The 30-day notice given to Takhini Transport applies to the termination of the two busing contracts that were ratified on July 1, 2013.

Both contracts – one applying to Whitehorse and the other at the territory’s rural communities – were set to run until June 30, 2018.

The contracts are valued at about $14 million – a pretty price tag for other transport companies.

Modha confirmed that the department is “examining their options” and had had discussions with other bus companies.

Standard Bus Contracting Yukon, the company that held the school busing contract before Takhini Transport, confirmed this morning that the government has been in “talks” with it, but nothing has been finalized as of yet.

Standard Bus Yukon ran an advertisement in the Star last Friday looking for part-time charter and school bus drivers.

The ad states, “If being part of child’s education by getting them to and from school safely and in a comfortable environment is important to you then we will help you get the above qualifications needed, with your commitment, we can make this happen.”

Ron Swizdaryk, Standard Bus Yukon’s general manager, said the advertisement is a standard one the company runs every couple of years. It is not related to the conversations being held with the government about school bus contracts, he said.

Standard Bus and Takhini Transport have competed against each other for busing contracts in the past.

In 2011, Calgary-based Standard bus was the lowest bidder for a two-year contract in all 10 Yukon communities, shutting out Takhini Transport for the first time in a decade.

It was Takhini Transport, however, which outbid Diversified Transportation in 2001, taking over school busing in most communities which had been held by Standard Bus’ subsidiary for about 30 years.

Modha stated that the department’s main focus and priority at this point are to ensure there are buses on the roads for the beginning of the school year and minimize disruptions to families of the 2,000 students Takhini Transport had been ferrying in the territory.

“Bus service is essential,” Moorcroft said.

“The government needs to have a contingency plan that they can operate at (short notice).”

Takhini Transport owner Ernie Jamieson could not be reached for comment before press deadline this afternoon.

According to a Yukon Employees Union press release, there are about 70 workers with Takhini Transport.